Metallica Announce Pair of Quebec City Concerts

Metallica have long had a special metal connection with Quebec City, and the band have announced they'll be returning this fall for a pair of concerts that mark the closing of the Colisee Pepsi and the opening of the city's brand new Centre Videotron.

Metallica announced the gigs today (April 20) on their website, explaining that they've been invited to play the last-ever concert at the Pepsi Colisee on September 14. Two days after closing out the hockey arena, which had first opened in 1949, Metallica will make history again by being the first act to play the Centre Videotron on September 16.

"Always one of our favorite places to visit, Quebec City also has a long history of being the home to some of the most rabid 'Tallica fans anywhere," the group wrote in a statement. "It only seems fitting that we share this special passing of the torch with you!"

The first gig will be the eighth time Metallica have played the Colisee since 1989. Back in 2009, while supporting Death Magnetic, the band filmed two shows at the venue, with footage from these concerts later being released as Quebec Magnetic.

The two upcoming concerts will apparently be markedly different, with Metallica saying the nights will feature different setlists and different opening bands, as well as will be performed on different stages. Though it's unclear at present which night is which, one performance will find the act playing on a standard "end stage," while the other gig will have them using a centrally located "in-the-round" setup.

Tickets go on sale this Friday (April 24) at noon local time. Metallica also have some other international dates scheduled over the next few months, and you can see all those here.

In related news, it was reported over the weekend that guitarist Kirk Hammett lost a cellphone a few months back that contained hundreds of ideas for new tunes. "I can only remember, like, eight of 'em," he told The Jasta Show [via Blabbermouth].

But the six-stringer ended up feeling zen about the loss in the long run, stating: "I just chalked it down to maybe it just wasn't meant to be and I'll just move forward with it."